The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-08
Mt OF THE sULTAN's HAREM.
W a Young French officer Stole
Her in a Crowd.

From the Baltimore american.
Arong the many harems in Turkey that
the Sultan at Constantinople is by far
most important. All these harems are
L,+ in the same style--that is, after the
inner of a prison, and to see one of them
ID see them all They are composed of
4 nv low-structured buildings surrounded
/ bioh walls. which effectually prevent
Inn 3 glimpse of the interior, and within
XII reigns a silence profound. This is
tyavs matter of surprise to foreigners,
4 4 NAV well be so when we consider the
| ge number of women confined there in ad-
Ian TO the many attaches of the establish
hi The women are watched over by negro
Enchs governed by a chief, and waited
In NV negroes of their own sex, all of
Som are natives of Egypt, trained from in
bcv for this special service. These negro
Smen are tall and robust, with an abund-
Ice of woolly hair, broad, fiat noses and
kck. shining skin, in marked contrast to
men. who are peculiarly shaped, their
but, short bodies and disproportionately
bg legs giving them grotesque appear
Ia This is the more conspicuous from
fact that they generally travel upon
q all Arab horses, their feet nearly touch
the ground. In the harem the
linen spend their time in comparative
'eness. the bath and the toilet filling the
hrs not allotted to eating and sleeping.
hue few of them smoke cigarettes, and
lying, with harp and accompaniment, is
1 unusual. Their indolent natures make
I'm averse to exercise, and they mostly re-
he upon their divans. In fine weather
In are permitted to take a drive, certain
&nber at time. A half dozen carriages
Is at the harem in the early afternoon,
are filled with occupants, four being the
Implement of each carriage. They wear
IN thin lace wells, which permit anyone
Wing good sight to distinguish their
&tures even at a considerable dis
Ace. But one must be very care
A in approaching too near these yelled
&uties, else he may receive a stroke from
y lash of the driver. One wonders often
In the women wear such thin lace over
Lin faces, while the free women of Con-
<ntinople are muffled in thick cotton wells,
th only a small hole for one eye. The
rem carriages are mounted upon heavy
fings. painted in vivid vermillion, and
thly vanished They have golden orna-
hts and are drawn by two horses. The
ver is a eunuch, as are also the mounted
BIRDS, one at leach door. When the women
lit the great bazaar, a kind of market
.ere all sorts of wares are sold, the car
ges drive up in line before the entrance,
guards dismount, and, turning their
fses over to the care of the drivers, ac-
[npany the women through the bazar.
During the Crimean war a small French
bay corps was quartered in Constantine
placed there to protect the numerous
spitalS and to guard prisoners. One day,
len the women of the Sultan's household
RE visiting the bazar, a young army sur
pn, taking advantage of a moment when
crowd was densest, successfully abduct-
one of them. He stole with her through
bazaar, crossed the narrow street and
lcealed her in the European quarter,
led Para. 1t is difficult to conceive how
affair could have been successfully car
through, as it is almost impossible to
ie the vigilance Of the eunuchs; besides,
principal actors in this escapade
never seen each other before, and neither
could understand word of the others
[guage. Does it not prove that the desire
liberty is deeply implanted in every hui
ln soulg The poor slave of the harem
yves the comforts of the only shelter she
ever known, and joyfully intrusts her
TO the protection of stranger, so wea-
is she of her hated bonds. Be it said
justice to this young officer, who was a
liant man and the posSeSSor of an ample
tune, that he had but one end in view,
Fnely, to give liberty to this unhappy wo-
IN. One can scarcely imagine the tumult
pc ensued when the eunuchs in charge
mo that one of their number had diSap-
pred. The Turks cried out at the sacri-
Re, the police were quickly summoned,
the bazar thoroughly searched, but all
no purpose. The hour to return to the
rem having struck, the carriages were
lged to start homeward, notwithstanding
TACT that in one of them was a vacant
t, and, judging by the CONSERVATION
plcted upon the faces of the eunuchs in
urge 1t was very easy to divine that
Rvy punishment awaited them. At night
the regular police were REINFORCED by a
&c number of detectives, and the search
vigorously prosecuted, while inn
use rewards were offered for the
cOvery of the unhappy fugitive.
the end of three days she
= found and brought in triumph back
tue harem, where, according to the
u'al custom, she had to suffer the penalty
horrible death in the presence of her
iler companions. The punishment in
case was even more terrible than that
ally inflicted. The fact of the young
Nef beng a Christian operated strongly
alSt her. DecapitatiOn alone was
e1ed too mild penalty, and it was COM
only reported that the Door runaway was
ulG between two pieces of wood, then
wed through the middle of the body, and
rT0Wn into the sea.
Inc capture of the woman was soon fol-
tned by the discovery of the name of the
eer, and thereupon his head was de-
llled and a reward offered for it. On
ARRIVAL OF the troops in Constantinople
w were lssted at the army headquar-
nii posing the necessity upon the part of
suffers, officers and file alike to observe
IeSpect to all the customs of the city,
r. specially was there an edict of non-in-
ference with Turkish women. The Off
VINO had thus violated orders was liable
severe punishment. while the large re-
|nu offered for his head by the Turkish
lollties caused the camp to be swarlned
|. Y. spies, and on several occasions the sem
els on guard found it necessary to fire
Gl suspicious characters lurking in the
finding it impossible by these means to
'ouie the person Of the officer, other steps
my resorted to, and few days later the
al IN charge Of the troops was himself
co ~,.ohed 10 the presence Of the Sultan.
slo y 81 by his staff he appeared at the
u ' we ms palace is built at the edge of
N wafer and under the brow of barren
|. AL the distance of 100 feet one would
!, u imagine that palace could exist in such
gji r nevertheless, the style of it is fine
r NJ putt entirely of white marble and sur
anu oy wall. At the principal en-
f0ot Is large iron grating, and at about
- 80 a, rom that grating is the palace. The
e h, "paItment is the reception hall, which
ner at the rear, leading TO the interior